In the history of its construction loan administration offerings, Trimont has serviced more than 1,475 projects totaling more than $46 billion of construction loans. During the 18 months ended May 31, Trimont’s portfolio has grown to nearly $6 billion in deals for new developments alone, including large urban mixed-use, trophy office, high-end hospitality, multifamily rentals and condominiums in major and secondary markets. The company expects $3.5 billion more to enter its pipeline in the next six months.

Trimont, which has $60 billion of invested capital under management, serves as a bridge between lender and owner by monitoring all aspects of lender risk including construction budget, schedule, critical dates and compliance. This February, Trimont earned a “Strong” Construction Servicer Rating from Standard and Poor’s – the agency’s highest rating.

The company’s commitments over the 18-month period ended May 31 have included increases in multiple categories, including:

Mixed-use – 99 percent increase

Office – 73 percent increase

Lodging – 71 percent increase

“As development continues to accelerate in urban and suburban clusters, we’re seeing ample opportunities for major markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Atlanta,” said Greg Winchester, Principal at Trimont Real Estate Advisors. “We expect this growth to continue trending strongly upward in the coming year, and are grateful to play a part in our clients’ exciting contributions to economic development.”

Trimont’s increased activity mirrors that of the U.S. construction industry according to recent leading indicators:

From January 2014 through April 2014 – a period that included unusually harsh winter weather conditions – non-residential building starts increased 4 percent year-over-year, and commercial construction rose 11 percent from March to April (including a 19-point jump in multifamily), according to McGraw Hill Construction.

The Fed’s Beige Book noted increasing leasing activity and vacancy rates, as well as steady non-residential construction, in most of the U.S. through May 23.

Smith Travel Research’s May 2014 Pipeline Report, recently published in Hotel News Now, reported a 41 percent increase in rooms under construction compared with May 2013.

The Dodge Momentum Index, a leading indicator of future construction spending, advanced 8.4 percent in April to 123.0.

About Trimont Real Estate Advisors
Trimont Real Estate Advisors (trimontrea.com) is a real estate financial services provider with $60 billion of invested capital under management. With 220 employees in Amsterdam, London, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles, the company provides debt and equity investment management services for real estate lenders and investors. Core services include asset management (primary, construction and special), asset servicing, bond finance services, underwriting and due diligence consulting. Trimont is rated as a Primary Servicer, Construction Servicer and Special Servicer by Fitch, Kroll and Standard & Poor’s.